The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the pin arrangement for bowling and a connecting unit to be used in the apparatus.
In conventionally common bowling alleys, there are provided a pin setter machine for setting pins to a pin arrangement position in a rear end portion of a lane, and an automatic bowling scoring unit for performing scoring process of bowling by detecting a pin state after a bowl.
The pin setter machine has a function for newly arranging ten pins as first-bowl pins to a pin arrangement position in the rear end portion of the lane (first-bowl pin setting means), and a function for, upon detection of a bowl, gripping and elevating pins standing erect in the pin arrangement position, making a sweep over remaining pins and fallen pins with a mechanism for removing those pins (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9crakexe2x80x9d), and thereafter rearranging the elevated pins (second-bowl pin setting means).
Such a conventionally common pin setter machine merely has the basic functions of setting ten pins erect for the first bowl and rearranging remaining pins for the second bowl, which would come after anon-strike. Therefore, the pin setter machine has been capable of no more than basic bowling games.
In contrast to this, there has also been developed, and in use, a pin setter machine which allows pin arrangement to be performed in specified arbitrary pin patterns in order that a higher degree of freedom of pin arrangement and, as a result, a wider variety of bowling games are enabled.
If pin arrangement in arbitrary pin patterns is enabled like this, it becomes possible, for example, to exercise bowling practice by aiming at spares quite efficiently. It also becomes feasible to perform novel bowling games with changed variations of pin arrangement pattern other than the so-called tenpin bowling.
The conventional pin setter machine that has enabled arbitrary setting of pin arrangement patterns comprises a pin elevator for carrying fallen, swept-up pins up to a specified height, a pin shooter for carrying the pins up to a specified position, a distributor for supplying the pins to a specified position in a pin setting table, and the like. However, the distributor for supplying the pins to any arbitrary position in the pin setting table is large scaled, complex and large in general construction, and expensive by machine itself.
Meanwhile, for bowling alleys in which pin setter machines incapable of pin arrangement in such arbitrary pin arrangement patterns are provided, it has been substantially unreasonable to abandon their existing pin setter machines and substitute therefor the aforementioned pin setter machines capable of setting arbitrary pin arrangement patterns, in terms of time and cost required for the dismantling and reinstallation. Still, the traditional pin setter machines having only the basic functions for tenpin bowling are strong machines which are operated in major part by mechanical control, and therefore will not break early and, even if worn, can be continuously used by replacing only its component parts for the worn parts. Thus, the replacement with new machines has been made even more difficult.
An object of the present invention is to provide a pin arrangement control apparatus, as well as a connecting unit to be used in the apparatus, which is capable of pin arrangement in arbitrary pin arrangement patterns, without substituting a new pin setter machine for a pin setter machine provided with only basic functions of performing the so-called tenpin bowling.
The pin arrangement control apparatus of the present invention comprises: scissors for pinching a neck portion of a bowling pin; a link mechanism for performing opening/closing operation of the scissors; and a connecting unit provided between the scissors and the link mechanism, wherein the connecting unit comprises: a solenoid which is set electrically selectively to conducting or non-conducting state; and a lock mechanism for setting the scissors and the link mechanism into a linked state or a free state therebetween in response to an operating state of the solenoid.
Also, the connecting unit for pin arrangement control in bowling of the present invention, comprises: a solenoid which is provided between scissors for pinching a neck portion of a bowling pin and a link mechanism for performing opening/closing operation of the scissors and which is set electrically selectively to conducting or non-conducting state; and a lock mechanism for setting the scissors and the link mechanism into a linked state or a free state therebetween in response to an operating state of the solenoid.
With the above constitution, which ones of the ten pins should be set can be set by selecting conduction or non-conduction of the solenoid. As a result, for example, it becomes possible to set a bowling practice mode in any arbitrary pin arrangement patterns, so that spare practice is facilitated. Still, there is no need of any complex mechanism, and all that is needed is to provide a connecting unit in which a solenoid is provided at a connecting portion between the scissors and the link mechanism. Therefore, the pin setter machine can be put into use as a machine which allows pin arrangement to be implemented in any arbitrary pin arrangement patterns, without entirely replacing the pin setter machine by a new pin setter machine equipped with a distributor for feeding pins to any arbitrary positions of a pin setting table.
Also, the lock mechanism of the pin arrangement control apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a pipe which is provided opposite to a groove formed along a rod perimeter of the link mechanism and which is attached to the scissors so as to cover the rod perimeter; and a plurality of balls held by the pipe, wherein the pipe and the rod are put into a latched state or a non-latched state by making the balls fitted or non-fitted to the groove depending on actuation of the solenoid.
Also, the lock mechanism of the connecting unit for pin arrangement control in bowling according to the present invention comprises: a pipe which is provided opposite to a groove formed along a rod perimeter of the link mechanism and which is attached to the scissors so as to cover the rod perimeter; and a plurality of balls held by the pipe, wherein the pipe and the rod are put into a latched state or a non-latched state by making the balls fitted or non-fitted to the groove depending on actuation of the solenoid.
Further, as another embodiment, the lock mechanism comprises: a slide member which is attached to the link mechanism and which is put into a slide-locked state or a free-slide state depending on whether or not the slide member makes contact with the actuation portion of the solenoid depending on non-conduction or conduction of the solenoid; and a transform mechanism for transforming a straight motion of the pin into a rotational motion of the scissors, wherein the scissors and the link mechanism are put into a linked state or a free state therebetween by putting the slide member into the free-slide state or the slide-locked state depending on actuation of the solenoid.
Further, as yet another embodiment, the lock mechanism comprises: a transform mechanism which has an elongate hole capable of insertion of the pin provided in the link mechanism and which transforms a straight motion into a rotational motion and then giving the resultant motion to the scissors; and a pin coupling plate for putting the pin, which has been inserted in the elongate hole, into a coupled state or a non-coupled state with the elongate hole depending on non-conduction or conduction of the solenoid, wherein the scissors and the link mechanism are put into a linked state or a free state therebetween by putting the pin into the coupled state or the de-coupled state depending on actuation of the solenoid.
With the above mechanism, the lock mechanism can be easily provided without the need for largely modifying already installed link mechanism and scissors. Therefore, the mechanism can be incorporated into the existing pin setter machine in a short time period and with low cost.
Also, the pin arrangement control apparatus for bowling according to the present invention further comprises: pin arrangement pattern setting means for setting an arbitrary pin arrangement pattern; and means for setting the non-conducting state or the conducting state of the solenoid in response to a set pin arrangement pattern.
With this constitution, the bowler is allowed to set any arbitrary pin arrangement patterns, thus enabled to easily exercise a variety of spare practices.
Also, in the pin arrangement control apparatus for bowling according to the present invention, the pin arrangement pattern setting means is a means for inputting a pin arrangement pattern on screen. As a result, any pin arrangement pattern can be easily set on the screen.
Also, in the pin arrangement control apparatus for bowling according to the present invention, the pin arrangement pattern setting means is a means for selecting a pin arrangement pattern from among previously stored pin arrangement patterns. As a result, for example, a desired pin arrangement pattern for challenge can be easily set only by selecting the pin arrangement pattern from among typical pin arrangement patterns for spare practice.
Also, the pin arrangement control apparatus for bowling according to the present invention further comprises: means for receiving input of a medium such as a coin or a value-stored card; and means for enabling input of the pin arrangement pattern upon input of the medium.
With this constitution, bowling practice or the like can be easily charged for payment.